Humanizing homelessness, one story at a time

San Francisco officials are launching an ambitious plan to reduce homelessness in the city. In a conversation with the San Francisco Chronicle, the head of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, Jeff Kositsky, said the goal is to eliminate family homelessness, clear all group tent encampments, and cut the number of continually homeless residents by half. The program is called the “Homelessness Response System” and it will officially start in January.

According to the latest count, nearly 7,500 people live without homes in San Francisco. They’re often classified as one group. A multimedia art project called “Stories Behind the Fog,” by the creative team of Fran Guijarro and Diya Guha, is looking to change that. It’s recording the stories of 100 people living in the Bay Area without a home — through their voices and their images. Diya Guha spoke with KALW's Hana Baba.

"When I came here, the tech capital of the world, and I saw so many people on the street ... it shouldn't be an issue to get 7,000 people off the streets. I really refuse to believe that."

Moses Carbins, the man who inspired the project Stories Behind the Fog, is giving a Tedx Talk at Herbst Theater on October 10th.